Eva Mendez Dishes Beauty Advice For Looking Flawless All Day

As a sleep-deprived new mom,the 41-year-old actress relies on some seriously simple yet super-clever moves. We like how she thinks!

REDBOOK: You never seem to get caught in an unflattering paparazzi photo. Do you wear makeup every day?

EVA MENDES: I do, and I pride myself on a fast routine. I start with tinted moisturizer, then I dab on a bright pink cheek stain, which makes my skin come alive. And I always need concealer, because no matter what, I have dark circles. I made peace with that a long time ago.

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RB: As a new mom, you must really be relying on that concealer!

EM: [Laughs] You know, not really—I'm not stressing out as much lately. But I'm sure that'll change.

RB: Do you have any makeup tricks?

EM: To draw attention to my eyes, I never line the outer corners, I keep them open. Another trick is, if you have a longer face like I do, when applying blush, blend it horizontally across your face [from cheek to cheek] so there's a little on your nose, too.

RB: Are you as savvy with your hair?

EM: Oh, no, I'm terrible at blow-drying. But I'm into hair treatments. Once a month, after shampooing, I douse my wet hair with coconut oil. I massage it in, then I put on a shower cap, leave it on overnight, and rinse it out the next morning. I also like a good leave-in conditioner, like Infusium23.

RB: What are your skin-care essentials?

EM: I'm on the coconut oil bandwagon, so I use it on more than my hair. It's my moisturizer for my hands, body, even my face—though for day, I prefer Estée Lauder Hydrationist Moisture Creme. It's thick and wears well under makeup.

RB: You're an ambassador for Circa, a new cosmetics line at Walgreens. What was your first drugstore makeup buy?

EM: Revlon lipstick, because Cindy Crawford was one of their spokesmodels and I was obsessed with her. I bought a frosty shade and a brown one. I may have even layered the two!

RB: Do you have a signature scent?

EM: I've been wearing Estée Lauder Knowing since I was in seventh grade. Also, my family is Cuban, and we have a tradition where we douse ourselves and our babies in violetas, a type of cologne that smells like violets. I have a bottle in every room in the house.

RB: What other beauty traditions do you have?

EM: My mom is so old-world; she'd always say to me, "Blend upward," when putting on her face cream. She'd also sprinkle baby powder in her hair to absorb oil, and now I do it too. Another thing she told me was to moisturize my elbows, but I never did. Now they're hideous, and I think of her whenever I look at them! –As told to Kate Sullivan